Package for tobacco or other articles



Patented May 4, 1943 PACKAGE FOR TOBACCO OR OTHER ARTICLES Alfred German Rose, Gainsborough, England, assignor to Rose Brothers (Gainsborough) Limited, Gainsborough, England, a British com- Application March 30, 1940, Serial No. 326,977 In Great Britain April 1, 1939' 8 Claims.

This invention relates to packages and more particularlyto packages of the type (hereinafter referred to as the type described) formed by wrapping a blank of paper, foil, or similar wrapping material about an article, for example, a charge of tobacco, in the form of a tube with portions of the blank adjacent two opposed edges freely over-lapping with the outer of the overlapping edges on the top of the package, and then closing the ends of the tube against the ends of the article. The completed package is then inserted into a container, for example, a tin box.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved package of the type described that can be easily opened without destroying the package as a whole.

According to the present invention, a package of the type described comprises in the top wall of the package lines of perforations passing through at least the outer of the over-lapping edges and so disposed that when the outer overlapping portion is torn along a line or lines of perforations an aperture is formed in that portion which extends from its edge and exposes the inner over-lapping portion which can then be torn along a line or lines of perforations in that portion to form an aperture exposing the contents of the package. The lines of perforations may be such as to allow portions of the wrapped blank to be completely torn away from the package to form the apertures or to allow flaps to be formed which remain attached to the package and can be closed over the apertures. The invention also includes a blank for forming the package.

The perforations in the inner of the overlapping portions may extend to the edge of the portion if that edge lies in the top wall of the package or, if the edge lies in an adjacent wall, a slit may be made in the part of .the inner overlapping portion lying in the top wall with the perforations extending to the slit.

A preferred form of package according to the invention is of rectangular cross-section, with the longer sides of the rectangular lying in the top and bottom respectively of the package, the outer of the overlapping edges lying on the topof the package and the inner of .the over-lapping edges lying on the inside of an adjacent side of the package, the top of the package being perforated along two parallel lines disposed one adjacent each end of the package, the lines passing through the outer overlapping edge and each terminating in points adjacent each side of the package, the two lines of perforations in the inner over-lapping portion of the Wrapped blank being connected at the ends lying nearest the edge of that portion by a slit lying adjacent and parallel to the side of the package containing that edge, thus providing for the formation of two over-lapping flaps by tearing the wrapped blank along the lines of perforations in opposite directions. Short cuts may be made in the lines of perforations where they meet the outer overlapping edge of the wrapped blank and the slit, to facilitate tearing.

Such a package is particularly useful in the wrapping of tobacco since, whilst the overlapping portions of the wrapped blank extend into two adjacent sides of the package to form a strong package, the two flaps provide easy access to the whole of the tobacco without destroying the structure of the package.

It will be understood that other articles commonly packed in tins, for example, medicinal tablets, pastilles, and similar articles, may be wrapped in packages according to this invention. The term "article as used herein is intended to cover a batch of such articles.

The preferred form of package mentioned above and a modified form will now be described in greater detail as applied to the wrapping-of a charge of tobacco, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings, in which:

Figure '1 shows a blank from which a package according to the invention is produced. I

Figure 2 is a representation of the first wrapping operation showing how the portions ofthe blank adjacent two opposed edges are overlapped.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the finished package.

Figure 4 isa view similar to Figure 3, but showing one flap open.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the completed package containing in a tin box and having both flaps open.

Figure 6 shows a blank from form of package is produced.

Figure 7 is a perspective view similar to Figure 3 showing the modified form of package produced from the blank shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but showing a portion of the package removed, and

Figure 9 is a further perspective view showing the package open.

Referring to Figures 1 1305, a blank I is formed from a rectangular piece of paper, and has two sets of lines of perforations 2, 2 and 3, 3 lying centrally of the blank and parallel to .the longer which a modified sides 4, 4 of the blank, the lines in each set being disposed at a distance apart slightly less than the length of the finished package, as will be apparent from Figures 3 to 5.

A slit 3 lying parallel to one edge 'I of the blank connects the lines of perforations 2, 2 at their ends nearest to the edge I, while the lines of perforations 3, 3 extend to the opposite edge 3 of the blank. Short cuts 9 are made in the blank along the lines of perforations 2, 2 and 3, 3 where they meet .the slit 6 and the edge] of the blank respectively.

During the formation of the package, for example, by the apparatus described in United States Patent No. 2,010,275, the blank I is wrapped about a. charge of tobacco I in the form of a tube of rectangular cross-section, as indicated in Figure 2, with portions l2 and I3 adjacent the opposed edges I and 8 over-lapping, a part H of the portion l2 including the edge I lying against a side It of the package. The slit 3 is disposed in the blank at .a distance from the edge I somewhat greater than the length of the part l4 of the portion l2 so as to leave a narrow strip ll of wrapper between the slit 6 and the side ii of the finished package (see Figures 3 to 5).

After the tube has been formed about the charge of tobacco, the ends of the tube are closed against the ends of the charge II as indicated at It, and the over-lapping edge 8 is secured to the top IQ of the package by a seal 20, the completed package then being inserted into a tinbox 2|, as shown in Figure 5'.

To open the package, the seal is broken and a flap 22 formed by tearing theover-lapping portion |3 of the'wrapper along the lines of perforations 3, 3 as shown in Figure 4, a second flap 23 then being formed by tearing the inner portion of the wrapper in the opposite direction from the slit 6 along the lines of perforations 2, 2. The lines of perforations 2, 2 extend from the slit 6 a distanc somewhat less than the width of the package while' the lines of perforations 3, 3 extend from the edge 8 of the blank a distance somewhat less than the width of the overlapping portion |3 so that, in the finished package, there isleft a narrow border round the four sides of the top that is not disturbed by the tearing of the wrapped blank. Whilst, therefore, the flaps 22 and 23 allow of easy access to the whole of the charge ll of tobacco, the general structure of the package is not destroyed and the package, therefore, maintains its neat appearance after it has been opened.

Figures 6 to 9 show the construction of a modifled form of package. In this construction the blank shown in Figure 6 is used, the blank being very similar to that shown in Figure 1, having a set of perforations 3|, 3| connected by a slit 32 disposed in a similar manner to the set of perforations 2, 2 and the slit 6 of Figure 1. The

'slit 32 in this case, however, extends a short distance into th lines of perforations 3|, 3|as indicated at 33, the curved portions of the slit shown at 33 taking the place of the short cuts 3 shown in Figure 1. Lines of perforations 34, 34, disposed in a'similar manner to the perforations 3, 3 of Figure 1, are also provided; but in this case' the lines of perforations 34, 34 are connected by a further line of perforations 36 meeting the lines 34, 34 in curves 3'l, 31 which, in the finished package, substantially coincide with the curved portions .33 of the slit 32, as will be clearly seen from Figures 7 and 8 Short cuts 38 are made along the lines ofperforations 34, 34 where they meet the edge of theblank in the same manner as the cuts 3 of Figure 1 are made.

The blank is folded about a charge of tobacco 33 in exactly the same manner as described with reference to Figures 1 and 5, the finished package being shown in Figure- 7, from which it will be seen that the perforations 34, 34 coincide with perforations 3|, 3| and the line of perforations 36 lies substantially coincident ,with the slit 32, the packag being sealed by means of a seal 4|.

. To open the package, the seal 4| is broken and a portion 42 enclosed by the lines of perforations 34, 38 and the over-lapping edge 43 of the wrapp d blank is removed from the top of the package by tearing along the perforations. The slit 32 is then exposed, as shownin Figure 8, and a flap 44 is formed by tearing a portion 46 of the package along the perforations 3|, 3|, as

shown in Figure 9.

As with the package shown in Figures 1 to 5, access is thus obtained to the whole of the charge of tobacco 33. without destroying the general structure of the package.

It will be understood that the finished package shown in Figure 7 is inserted into a tin box similar to that shown in Figure 5.

I claim:

1. A package of the type described, wherein the package is of rectangular cross-section with a long side of the rectangle lying in the top of the package, the outer of the over-lapping edges lying on top of the package and the inner of the over-lapping edges lying on the inside of an adjacent side of the package, said package being formed with two parallel lines of perforations in the top of the package disposed one adjacent each end of the package, the lines passing through .the outer over-lapping edge and each terminating in points adiacent each side of the package, the two lines of perforations in the inner over-lapping portion of the wrapped blank being connected at the ends lying nearest the edge of that portion by a slit lying adjacent and parallel to the side of the package containing that edge, thus providing for the formation of two over-lapping flaps by tearing the wrapped blank along the lines of perforations in opposite directions.

2. A package according to claim' 1, wherein short cuts are made in the lines of perforations where they meet the outer over-lapping edge of 1111; wrapped blank and the slit, to facilitate tear- 3. A package according to claim 1, wherein the two parallel lines of perforations in the outer over-lapping portion are connected by a line of perforations in such a manner that substantially the whole of the over-lapping portion can be removed from the package by tearing along the path determined by the perforations.

4. A package according to claim 1, wherein a line of perforations extends from a point in the outer over-lapping edge adjacent one end of the package to a point in that edge adiacent the opposite end of the package to allow substantially the whole of the\ outer overlapping portion to be removed from the package by tearing along the line of perforations, and wherein short cuts are made in the lines of perforations where they meet the outer over-lappingedge of the wrapped blank and the slit, to facilitate tearing.

5. A blank for the production of a package of the type described, said blank consisting of a piece of wrapping material in which are formed two sets of perforations one set adjacent each of two opposed. edges of the blank, each set of perforations comprising two parallel lines of perforations extending at right angles to the edge of the blank adjacent which the set lies and spaced apart from each other by a distance somewhat less than the length of the article to be wrapped, the lines of perforations of one set extending to the edge of the blank adjacent which that set lie and the lines of perforations of the other set being connected, at the ends lying nearest to the edge of the blank adjacent which that set lies, by a slit, the perforations being so arranged that when the blank is wrapped about an article with said opposed edges over-lapping to form the package the set of perforations comprising the lines extending to the edge of the blank lies in the outer over-lapping portion and at least part of the other set of perforations including the ends of the lines connected by the slit lies in the inner over-lapping portion.

6. A blank according to claim 5, wherein the set of perforations comprising the two lines extending to the edge of the blank includes a line of perforations lying parallel to that edge and connecting the said two lines of perforations.

7. A blank for the production of a package of the type described, said blank consisting of a piece of wrapping material in which are formed two sets of perforations lying adjacent two opposed edges of the blank and separated by a substantial portion of the blank, each set of perforations comprising two space-d lines of perforations extending transversely of the edge of the blank adjacent which the set lies and, in at least one set, extending to that edge, the perforations being so arranged that when the blank is wrapped about an article with said opposed edges overlapping to form the package, one set comprising two spaced lines of perforations extending to the edge of the blank, lies in the outer over-lapping portion and at least part of the other set of perforations lies in the inner over-lapping portion.

8. A wrapped package comprising a wrapper of paper, foil, or similar material wrapped around an article in the form of a tube with the top portions of the wrapper adjacent to opposed edges thereof disposed in overlapping relation and presenting an exposed free edge, the ends of the tube being closed against the ends of the article, the portions of the wrapper forming the top wall of the package being formed with lines of perforations extending therethrough transversely of and intersecting said free edge each of said lines of perforations being adjacent and parallel to an opposed edge of the package and substantially coextensive therewith, and defining in the outer overlapped portion a hinged flap extending from said free edge inwardly of said wrapper and severable along said lines of perforations toexpose an underlying portion of the wrapper, said perforations extending through said underlying portions of the wrapper and defining lines connected at points normally covered by said flap portion by a slit extending transversely of said lines of perforations, said slit and last named perforated lines defining an oppositely hinged flap portion extending from said slit towards said free edge of the wrapper and severable along said lines of perforations to expose the contents of the package.

ALFRED GERMAN ROSE. 

